Episodes

  • Episode #37: Wilt's Big Breakthrough - The 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers
    Mar 28 2025

    (04:50) Background on basketball in Philadelphia and on Wilt

    (23:18) Let's meet the 1966-67 Sixers and look at their regular season

    (46:05) The Sixers finally overcome Boston

    (55:05) The 1967 Finals

    When it comes to the NBA’s all-time greatest players, few can match the raw statistical dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.

    From the iconic 100-point game, to the 50 points per game season, to 12 straight seasons averaging over 20 rebounds, Chamberlain’s numbers are simply unbelievable.

    But despite statistical dominance, Wilt the Stilt struggled for years to carry his teams over the final hurdle, as year after year, championships eluded him.

    While Bill Russell was winning 11 rings in 13 years, Chamberlain was often left watching and waiting .

    Finally, in 1967, 9 years into his NBA career, Wilt finally earned his ring, and delivered the first ever NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia .

    The story of how Chamberlain and the Sixers got there, however, is one few people know.

    In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back nearly 60 years, and learn how the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers managed to defeat the nearly-undefeatable dynasty of the Boston Celtics.

    This is once upon a dribble!

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Bonus Series! Conference Finals MVPs: Part 8 - Western Conference 2000-09, the Laker Renaissance, the Spurs Dynasty Looms Large, Dirk Makes Some Noise, The 7 Seconds or Less Suns and MORE!
    Feb 24 2025

    Today we continue in part 8 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

    During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

    This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2000s!

    2000: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Shaquille O'Neal

    2001: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Shaquille O'Neal

    2002: Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings - Shaquille O'Neal

    2003: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

    2004: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves - Shaquille O'Neal2005: Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

    2006: Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns - Dirk Nowitzki

    2007: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz - Tim Duncan

    2008: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Kobe Bryant

    2009: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode #36: Family Matters - PART 2 of 2: A Deep Dive on T-Mac, Tracy McGrady
    Feb 5 2025

    In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor.

    But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew.

    In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom.

    Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality

    Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

    Today Calvan talks to us about T-Mac. In Part 1 Josh talked about Vince.

    This is once upon a dribble!

    Show more Show less
    54 mins
  • Episode #35: Family Matters - PART 1 of 2: A Deep Dive on Air Canada, Vince Carter
    Feb 4 2025

    In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor.

    But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew.

    In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom.

    Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality

    Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

    Today Josh talks to us about Vince. In Part 2 Calvan will talk about T-Mac.

    This is once upon a dribble!

    Show more Show less
    52 mins
  • Episode #34: "It's Just A Phase, Mom", the History of the Charlotte Bobcats!
    Dec 24 2024

    Remember that time, like, that 10-season span when the Charlotte Bobcats were an NBA basketball team?


    Us too, but barely. Josh and Calvan did a DEEP dive into the interesting, awkward, yet always entertaining history of the Charlotte Bobcats. Join them in the NBA time machine as they talk about the success of the original Hornets, their move to New Orleans, the establishment of the Bobcats, MJ, Larry Brown, Gerald Wallace, George Shinn, Adam Morrison, Kemba Walker and EVERYTHING in between.


    You won't want to miss it!

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Bonus Series! Conference Finals MVPs: Part 7 - Eastern Conference 2000-09, Detroit RunsThe East, The King Arrives, Wade and the Heat Catch Fire, Kidd's Nets Go Back to Back and MORE!
    Nov 18 2024

    Today we continue in part 7 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

    During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

    This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?

    Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 2000s!

    2000: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks - Reggie Miller (01:41)

    2001: Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers - Dikembe Mutombo (06:10)

    2002: Boston Celtics vs New Jersey Nets - Jason Kidd (13:31)

    2003: Detroit Pistons vs New Jersey Nets - Jason Kidd (20:00)

    2004: Detroit Pistons vs Indiana Pacers - Ben Wallace (24:08) 2005: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat - Richard Hamilton (26:16)

    2006: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat - Dwyane Wade (32:24)

    2007: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons - LeBron James (37:26)

    2008: Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - Kevin Garnett (44:18)

    2009: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard (49:41)

    Show more Show less
    57 mins
  • Episode #33: An Exercise in Futility, the LONGEST Postseason Droughts for EVERY NBA Franchise, Part 2: Northwest, Southwest and Central Divisions
    Oct 29 2024

    Every NBA team at some point in their history has hit a drought so to say. A drought from success that keeps them out of the postseason picture. It can be injuries, poor coaching, bad management, whiffed draft picks or a combination of it all.

    In this segment Josh and Calvan look at EVERY NBA franchise and dissect their longest absence from NBA playoff basketball and ask the question, "what went wrong?"

    Even the driest of droughts see rain once again and there is light at the end of every tunnel.

    In part 2 of this 2 part series, Calvan tackles the Northwest, Southwest and Central divisions. In part 1 Josh covered the Atlantic, Pacific and Southeast.

    Minnesota Timberwolves (01:00)

    Denver Nuggets (03:04)

    Utah/New Orleans Jazz (05:05) Portland Trail Blazers (06:59)

    Oklahoma City Thunder (08:47)

    Milwaukee Bucks (11:25)

    Indiana Pacers (13:34)

    Cleveland Cavaliers (15:33)

    Detroit Pistons (17:47)

    Chicago Bulls (20:16)

    Dallas Mavericks (23:00)

    San Antonio Spurs (25:03)

    Refresher on the Phoenix Suns (27:11)

    Memphis Grizzlies (29:18)

    Houston Rockets (32:05)

    Show more Show less
    36 mins
  • Episode #32: An Exercise in Futility, the LONGEST Postseason Droughts for EVERY NBA Franchise, Part 1: Atlantic, Pacific and Southeast Divisions
    Oct 17 2024

    Every NBA team at some point in their history has hit a drought so to say. A drought from success that keeps them out of the postseason picture. It can be injuries, poor coaching, bad management, whiffed draft picks or a combination of it all.

    In this segment Josh and Calvan look at EVERY NBA franchise and dissect their longest absence from NBA playoff basketball and ask the question, "what went wrong?"

    Even the driest of droughts see rain once again and there is light at the end of every tunnel.

    In part 1 of this 2 part series, Josh tackles the Atlantic, Pacific and Southeast divisions. In part 2 Calvan will cover the Northwest, Central and Southwest.


    Boston Celtics (01:55)

    Philadelphia 76ers (04:29)

    New York Knicks (06:11)

    Toronto Raptors (08:10)

    Brooklyn Nets (10:25)

    Los Angeles Lakers (13:15)

    Golden State Warriors (16:25)

    Los Angeles Clippers (18:29)

    Sacramento Kings (21:08)

    Phoenix Suns (24:11)

    Miami Heat (27:31)

    Charlotte Hornets (29:36)

    Washington Wizards (32:22)

    Orlando Magic (35:51)

    Atlanta Hawks (38:10)

    Show more Show less
    42 mins